Ever
by JeffC FTW
Summary: When word gets out regarding Sasuke's defeat of Orochimaru, his brother the Fifth Hokage and Team Kakashi head out to confront him. An explosive climax will ensue, and tragedy will strike a crushing blow in this final of a trilogy.
1. Justified Means

**Now comes the closing of the Itachi and Sakura trilogy. Previous were "Divine Intervention" as well as "Almonds and Cherry Blossoms". For those who hadn't read those two before this one, I HIGHLY recommend it to avoid confusion. This two-shot picks up where "Almonds and Cherry Blossoms" left off, after Godaime Hokage Itachi himself has a sexy massage from Sakura, his little lover. ;) But now with Sasuke returning, things are going to come to a dramatic conclusion.**

 **Disclaimer: obvious who this anime/manga and its characters belong to, but I am NOT the one.**

Chapter One

Justified Means

"Orochimaru is dead. It seems Sasuke killed him." His grip tightened around the paper, lips thinning.

 _Sasuke killed the snake._ She didn't know whether to be happy or dismayed, but one thing was sure: he'd grown powerful if he'd been able to take down one of the legendary Sannin. "Where is he now?"

Itachi sighed, closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened them again. "He is gathering a team now and is apparently on his way here."

Sakura Haruno bit her bottom lip. Three years, and now they learn Sasuke had survived, defeated the snake...but he was also on his way here to the Leaf Village. He was coming back home. A tiny amount of hope rose in her as to what could happen. She could imagine how Naruto would take this when he learned this - then she stopped her thinking when she looked up at her handsome lover and older brother of the traitor. "But when he does come here, what do you wish, Lord Hokage?" Their great rare moment was ruined by the news, but she summoned her chakra to calm down the obvious arousal below her stomach. The heat cooled in seconds.

Itachi shook his head, reaching up to rub his left temple with his thumb and forefinger. "I'm sorry, but you must leave now, Sakura. I'll summon you and your teammates back at the office."

 _Thank you, crow and Sasuke, for interrupting us._

She just nodded and stood up to put on her jacket and vest to leave without a word.

As soon as she was in the hallway, she made way for the office and waited out there. Because she was ahead of time, she felt a little impatient to wait for Naruto, the loveable idiot he was. Or would Kakashi retrieve him for her?

Some time passed before Itachi showed up, still in his kimono but with the Hokage's cloak draped over. He nodded to the two ANBU outside the door and passed through. "Follow me, Sakura," he said simply. "Your friends haven't arrived, I see." She shook her head. "Not surprising."

What felt like forever, her boys all showed up. "Sakura!" Naruto said. "What's up? And Itachi, is this about Sasuke?"

She gritted her teeth at his lack of decency towards the Hokage himself. "Yes, Naruto," he deadpanned. "In fact, I can tell you he is on his way here, but not for reasons you may think, Naruto. The rest of you - give me the hunch." He meant it more for Kakashi since he was known for said hunches, and always on a high note. Her old sensei closed his single eye, sighing sharply.

"What does he hope to accomplish now that he comes back?"

"He is considered a traitor as far as anyone is concerned. He hasn't killed anyone on Orochimaru's order, but now that the Snake Sannin is dead, there is no telling what is next on his list. I received notice tonight -" _When we were interrupted._ "- that he has gathered a team of three and will likely reach us in a few days. Therefore, I charge all of Team Kakashi to deal with him."

Naruto's gaze sharpened knowingly. "...you want us to kill him this time," he stated, baring his teeth. "This is your brother. Why do you now want your own brother dead?"

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, now bleeding with his Sharingan. "He is my brother...but he is also a disgrace to the Uchiha name as well as to this village," Itachi said coldly. "It pains me to do this, but if it's necessary, then you have no choice. Otherwise, he will be brought back for trial and either execution or a given service. Did you forget that he tried to kill you last time?"

 _"That was only a whim, and now I am going to kill Naruto on a whim..."_

Those cold, heartless words she would never forget, nor would she forget the pain in Kakashi's eye when he had to fight his own student. He wouldn't let her and Naruto know, but she knew he changed his mind altogether: his own student had abandoned them all.

"And one more thing, Naruto," Itachi said, "who in their mind would try and kill one they thought a friend multiple times?"

"Well, if he's got his wish to be strong, that snake bastard is dead," Naruto growled, "then maybe I can break every bone in his body myself unlike last time." Sakura held her breath and looked right at her lover as a means to try and not pummel the blond - although while she was happy he wanted to beat Sasuke to a pulp like he promised, she wanted to do something of her own to show that bastard she could get him this time.

Even if it meant killing him like she wanted to before. She couldn't get him last time - but she developed a special new poison to coat any of her weapons when she sprung on him.

Itachi seemed to read what she was thinking but chose to say nothing. "Leave first thing in the morning," he said finally, standing up from behind his desk. "The ANBU will be on guard in case he tries to overpower again." Then he stopped when he was just walking past them, his back facing them. "However..."

~o~

He was going after them to deal with Sasuke.

Alone in his private rooms once more, Itachi found himself unable to sleep that night. He lay on his back, staring first at the ceiling and then turning to look out the window at the blanket of stars coming out from the wisps of gray clouds. The turmoil was because of none other than his brother. Sasuke was lost and wouldn't listen to reason, but if he had to, it meant to deal with him justly.

He used to love Sasuke unconditionally, but his _otouto_ let his emotions cloud his judgment when their father didn't recognize him, and Naruto continued to grow in his abilities, therefore slighting Sasuke. _You always feared acknowledging him, believing it would diminish yourself. I thought you would seek a path for yourself that did not include selling your soul._ Nothing in life was ever easily handed to you. He wanted to teach Sasuke that, but the little fool never learned.

He even lost his opportunity with a certain beautiful, pure-hearted rosette who was now Jounin and a skilled medical ninja, taught by none other than the Slug Princess herself. Just wait until he saw her improve. Itachi looked forward to seeing that smirk off Sasuke's face.

He was also more than prepared to face his brother himself when the chance came.

 _Distraction._ Turning on his side, he reached for the bedside table and opened the top drawer to pull out the small, blushing box topped with a dimensional rose blossom. Holding it in the same hand, he flipped back the lid to reveal what he wanted to ask Sakura for a while now. She wouldn't have to give her career up; she might say yes in a heartbeat.

He wanted to win her heart with the perfect ring, but white diamonds were too expected, just like the first one that caught his attention. The large pure stone measured around the width of the finger it would, and surrounded with almost sixty smaller stones for extra fire. It was blinding, sure to attract attention, but it was a fortune's worth. He could afford it if he wanted to, but the fact he'd seen this kind of jewel many times, it was out of the question.

The next option was something a goddess would wear. Diamond-cut emerald set on a thin golden band. The verdant color would reflect her eyes...but at the same time, he doubted that it would last, either. She didn't deserve something too flashy or too plain.

 _Perhaps a duality of expected and unexpected,_ was his decision when his gaze fell on stunning rose-gold which would crawl around her finger like a gilded vine, set with three exquisite black diamonds highlighted with shimmering bright white. It was a tale of a true love story with darkness and innocence coming together. It was all too familiar and relatable that it called to him...

Itachi closed the box and put it back into the drawer, settling on his side and letting the faint light wash over him and pull him into the dreamland. Sakura's earlier "spa treatment" helped him enter a peaceful stupor.

~o~

 _"Oh, Sakura, what a surprise," Mikoto told her when she arrived in the Uchiha compound, beside Itachi - and the sight of the two holding hands was hardly a surprise, but it also made her utter a cry of joy. "Itachi, are you and Sakura -?"_

 _"We are, Mother," he answered with a nod, and in a flash, she wrapped her arms around him, almost breaking his back. But then the moment was over when she released him and looked back and forth between them, concerned._

 _"I'm happy, but are you two...serious? And how long has this gone on before today?"_

 _Sakura chose to speak. "Since last week, Mikoto-san. I really care about your son, and I wanted to tell you today." She paused, worried about the one whose other opinion was also important, although he might make or break. "Is your husband here?"_

 _"Oh, no, he won't be back until the end of the day. I'm glad that you are here. It's been very difficult since..." Her voice trailed off, onyx eyes glazing over. The pinkette knew who she was thinking about, but couldn't bring herself to say the name that made her crack in pain. Sakura walked over and hugged the woman who began to cry into her shoulder._

 _Itachi stood by, watching with a faraway eye. When the clan first learned about its youngest's own betrayal of them all, the majority sparked an uproar and demanded that he, their heir and Hokage, deal with Sasuke justly and expel him from their walls. This was going to be the hardest thing he ever had to do since he spent all their lives protecting Sasuke in the only way he knew how. She'd hated him for pushing Sasuke away, but he didn't want his younger brother to be burdened with following someone else's shadow - mainly Itachi's._

 _Fugaku had been the chief to state what a disgrace his youngest son was, and the rest followed suit. Itachi, as village leader and maybe future clan head, had no choice but to consider. He couldn't let his personal feelings take over._

 _But that didn't stop him from pursuing Sakura Haruno, who never saw she'd chased after the wrong man - wrong_ Uchiha _\- and gave her what they both deserved. And it was all because of one..._

 _"I wish Sasuke wouldn't be thrown out if he is brought back," Mikoto wept, holding onto her tightly, "but I'm only one overruled." And she wasn't the only one._

 _And so was Itachi._

~o~

"You are leaving, Itachi."

He looked up and frowned at the arrival of the two counselors in the doorway. His secretary had tried to stop them and failed. "Of course I am. Because I intend to protect my village rather than sitting behind the desk. What good is the Hokage just standing back and letting those beneath me do all the work?" he said coolly, smoothing out his cloak which was now placed on the back of the chair. He was left in none other than his Jounin flak jacket and vest.

Koharu huffed. "This village will be vulnerable when word gets that you have left its gates," she said.

"But my assistant can handle in my absence. It's not like I shall be gone on extended leave." _And I had been hoping to get away from you both so we wouldn't have to HAVE this conversation._

"This is personal," Homura said bluntly, shaking his head. "I've known it all along. You are joining Kakashi Hatake's team from behind. I hope for all our sakes that you realize that the traitor is no longer your brother, but an enemy you must slay should he kill someone from his own village."

"Thus a rogue cannot go unpunished," Koharu stated.

Itachi's patience had been tested long enough. He was in front of them both with his Sharingan ablaze. The two elders stood frozen in shock. "Breathe one more word," he warned icily, sharp as his sword which was now strapped to his back. "Sasuke is my brother, but his turn is partly my fault. He is still but a child swayed by his emotions. I will never go back on my word when I say that I will protect him no matter what. That is what a big brother is for...yet I failed, and I intend to correct that mistake. Neither of you are in a position to tell me what is going to be the most painful for me. You are talking to someone you once used as a tool of the old days." He narrowed his eyes on them.

"And one more thing before I leave you both: Naruto and Sakura are the only ones to believe in him. They have what you both and Danzo lack - the power to believe. Now get out of my way before you face my wrath."

They said nothing to him, only stepped back out of fear of the Sharingan. To have this influence and his choice to have them not involved in political matters was enthralling to say the least. The two ANBU at the door followed him, but more would be stationed even without his order. His secretary wasn't an idiot. But as soon as he was halfway down the hallway to head downstairs, he stopped at the sight of the man he would gladly go the rest of his life without seeing.

"Danzo, out of my way. I am in a hurry."

"So I have gathered," the bandaged man replied, leaning on his cane. "I would sleep for the first time once I have gathered that your 'innocent' little brother's head has been brought back to be placed atop this mansion for the whole village to see - to serve as a reminder of traitors."

If they had been somewhere else, and had he not loathed killing, Itachi would have finished the job himself here and now. But the man was nearly as old as Sarutobi and the counselors, so a quick death by his sword would be all too easy and unsatisfying. "I fear you will be all but disappointed," Itachi replied before flicking his finger and reappearing on the other side of Danzo, and his own ANBU joined soon after. The old man refused to turn around, but he was amused at the show.

"Itachi Uchiha, you are one of the most powerful of Shinobi in our history - even greater than the First Hokage himself - but your heart is your greatest weakness. It comes in all forms, and I fear it will not end well very soon."

Itachi said nothing, but continued his journey to meet with Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. But he was not going out without believing something would happen when he was not present.

 _I am the Hokage. Danzo and those two have no authority to seize the seat in my absence. I have made sure of it._

~o~

The three of them with the Hokage was nothing short of interesting - but also very difficult. Also, seeing him in Jounin garb without the Godaime cloak made her hold her breath. He was so handsome...but his face held so much trouble. She knew why, all too well.

 _His ANBU are hidden and waiting for us to go ahead._

"Orders, Lord Fifth?" Kakashi asked, to which the Uchiha nodded and proceeded ahead first. "Very well; lead the way, sir." He'd first been Itachi's captain in the Black Ops when the latter had arrived at age eleven, until her lover was promoted at age thirteen to captain. Then Kakashi left because of Sarutobi suddenly believing he was no longer suited for the darkness of ANBU - which was where she and her boys had come in... _no, Sasuke isn't one of us any longer._

They were off from the gate in no time just as the sun rose to its full morning height.

Kakashi summoned Pakkun and the other hounds to proceed to sniff out where Sasuke and his gang was now. And Itachi sent his crows to scout overhead.

By the time night was falling, Naruto was complaining that they could keep going since they were indeed close, to which Itachi and Kakashi both overruled him and said by morning, they would have recovered their strength to meet with the one who betrayed them all. Sakura could use it definitely, and if anyone was wounded, then she would be there to heal them. Four of them against the other four - it was a piece of cake. Or was she jinxing that?

Itachi did the honors of making a small fire underneath a tree with a small fireball, after Naruto was in charge of gathering the wood, and that left Kakashi with bringing in a couple fish that were all split in half, bones torn out, and then grilled, all of which the group enjoyed in a hearty moment as if tomorrow wouldn't be something possibly tragic.

Sakura was beside Kakashi, Naruto and Itachi on the other side, to which the Hokage was telling Naruto that despite circumstances, he was happy that he still considered Sasuke to be a brother - more than he had ever been. This shocked Sakura, but she said nothing.

He looked across the fire from her, the flames flickering across his eyes. The burn matched Naruto's with the same thought: the goal to bring Sasuke back _hopefully_ without killing him.

She looked at Kakashi only to see him forlorn. It made her look down at the earth between her feet and the small fire pit.

 **Next chapter: so it begins - and ends. :O Stay tuned!**


	2. The End is the Beginning

**So sorry it took forever to get this. More fics to do as well as life in general.**

 **I've been through hell mentally and emotionally in the last couple weeks. Fires near my area in southern California, but we were on flat land and on the other side of the highway, so we weren't touched. Except my heart goes out to those who lost their homes, pets, and other people they loved. :'( What a Christmas this is going to be for them, and those still living are grateful for being alive - except many of them have to start from scratch all over again.**

Chapter Two

The End is the Beginning

He was keeping watch tonight, because his eyes were sharper, and he was used to sleeping less at times by now. His doctors told him time and time again that it was unhealthy; sometimes, he knew his health better than they ever did.

Sakura was one of them to also try and get him to have more hours, using a special herbal tea she concocted herself, no sleeping powder, and it would do wonders. But it wasn't enough to heal a hardened and broken heart. The one they both loved was now the enemy, and they would have to kill him if need be. Naruto still believed in stopping Sasuke without killing him, but if he was to be a great Shinobi, it meant being capable of making harsh decisions.

He had been down the road one too many times to know that sometimes things don't go the way you want them to. _You're about to learn that the hard way, Naruto._

"When I see Sasuke, I'll settle it between me and him," he declared after swallowing a piece of fish, moaning happily and then announcing that he ought to try something different at Ichiraku's, like their fish-accented noodles. "Something like this! Itachi, you're a god send for making it like this! I didn't even know you could cook."

He chuckled. "Not often, but I know this and that. My mother primarily did the meals," he answered. "And given I was always away on missions, there was little time to cook nutrition like that." _Food pills in the shadows while the clients we watch over sit in the sun enjoying full meals - the way of the ANBU and a true Shinobi. To protect from the shadows instead of setting out to seek glory._

"My mom is the same way, although once in a while, she burns when she doesn't mean to," Sakura said, bringing a laugh from the circle, and it was then that Itachi noticed the look in Naruto's eyes at the mention of a family, having lived on his own his entire life. But here, now, he had friends and comrades to help him, even if one of them abandoned him.

He remembered Naruto once telling him a time when Sasuke said, during the Chuunin Exams, that he was one he wanted to fight the most, as the first time he said anything to acknowledge him. It was what made the blond so happy beyond words that he began to really see a significant. The guy he hated so much in the Academy just because of his "holier-than-thou" attitude turned out to be someone who would gladly risk his life...only to throw it all away.

Kakashi exhaled and looked into the fire. "If only I knew what it was like to have a mother..." This shocked Naruto to finally learn that his sensei knew what it was like to not have parents. Especially when the boy learned what happened to Kakashi's father.

They couldn't be out here so late, so when they finished the meal, he took his watch...except one struggled to sleep despite trying. "Try a personal sleeping pill you've concocted," Itachi teased her when she sat up and crawled his way, away from her boys, and rested her head against his chest, body spooned up against his. It felt so good to have her against him like this, at a dire.

"Now, you and I both know that it's a stupid mistake to make," Sakura told him. "I'm surprised you would suggest that." He chuckled and looked up at the sky, which was brushed with a lighter shade of smoky gray.

"We all need our strength, my lovely _kunoichi_ ," he told her, resting his hand on her hip. She sighed and nodded, closing her eyes, but it seemed sleep couldn't claim her like this. Itachi looked over to Kakashi and Naruto's passed out forms. There was one thing he could think of that would help her sleep, if it wouldn't do so to him, but he wasn't like any other person. He wasn't tired unless it was his own will, but with her, she needed it more than him. _And a med ninja is of no use if something becomes of him or her. She could get killed with fatigue._

Itachi bent his head down and captured her lips with his. "I know just how to tire you out while I keep watch," he purred. She giggled when he moved down to her exposed neck. He loved the feel of the throbbing vein, for it was a sign she was excited.

"Itachi, I don't know." It was hard for her to keep her voice down. No matter; it wasn't long before he stood up and whisked them both on the other side of the tree. "Itachi, is this really a good time?"

"It's the perfect time," he answered smoothly, his body covering hers, his hips rubbing against hers, both of their groins still covered. The friction made the heat in that part of his body burn, and hers, too, by the sounds of the moans he was drawing from her. In this temperature and these surroundings, being completely naked was out of the question. But that didn't stop his hands from going up her shirt and finding her chest bindings, slipping his hands underneath and groping both breasts. She closed her eyes and moaned in her throat, swallowing it down as much as she could. He tweaked her nipples and nipped at her neck, gently rotating his crotch against hers. Gods, he wanted her so much, before morning broke, that he couldn't wait a second longer. He then reached between their bodies for the front of his pants, watching as she did the same, and then shifted her lower body upwards to push her pants and underwear down, and he did the same, both of them ending at the knees, and he wasted no time entering her sweet slick waiting for him.

Oh, divinity at its finest on the dimmest hour before the darkest hour to come in the morning. It wasn't enough as full flesh in bed, away from the world, but perhaps they could experiment that in another time. The idea was exciting in itself.

Time went by slowly but fast at the same time. No one kept track of time, but he was constantly peeking around the tree to see that Naruto and Kakashi were still in deep slumber. His Sharingan blazed with every detail in his eye range, as it burned with his bodily sensations and those of his lover. The fluids of their love were exchanged when it was all over.

"...oh, that was..." Sakura could not find it in herself to speak.

He sighed and rested his face into the crook of her neck, ignoring their nude lower bodies and just rested against her, her arms coming to wrap around him and keep him close. "Itachi?"

"Mmm?" he murmured, lifting his face to look at her, taking in her flushed, shining skin that nearly matched her hair. She turned her darkened eyes in his direction.

"I love you."

 _She loves me._ The words made his heart jump in a way he hadn't felt in his entire life. It wasn't long before he felt his cheeks burn with tears that melted his flesh like lava burning across the landscape. Itachi dipped his face back into her neck and shoulder, unable to stop his body from shaking, and her embrace tightened around him as reassurance. His mother always said she loved him, Sasuke used to say those words to him, but now the woman he knew he'd always been in love with but had been in despair when she long ago chased after the other one who never cared about her...

 _My Sakura, you have no idea what you have made me feel, do you?_

~o~

She couldn't sleep well until she and Itachi made love that night. He took them around the tree so Naruto and Kakashi wouldn't hear them. It was still close to them, but the bushes and tall trunk hid them from view. It was also too cold and too open to get completely naked, so pushing their pants down and groping underneath the clothes was as close to contact they could get. This was the first time they'd done this in the outdoors and on a _mission_ of all times.

Sakura finally said she loved him. She held it behind her teeth for so long because she needed to make sure it really was. To finally say it was a wave of release, at the right time and place. But he didn't say the words back. He was good at many words, except one thing: expressing his feelings.

They redressed before falling asleep together that same night, so in case Itachi accidentally lost his instincts to listen, one of his crows would wake them when they spotted the ones they were all looking for.

But when dawn broke, Itachi in fact was alert and aware as she was, because light on their faces was all they needed - except when his bird came back, the enemy was approaching. She stretched herself and stood up, going over to wake up her boys. "He's coming," she told them, and that was all they needed to know.

Within moments, the group assumed the positions in the trees.

In came a group of different people - but one who stood out was Kabuto. Sakura gritted her teeth. _Why the hell are you here, bastard?_ Why did she have a terrible feeling about this...?

The other three: one was a young woman with bright red hair and glasses like Kabuto, and seemed to have a powerful chakra wave. Something about her seemed familiar, but then she saw the young man behind her. He was white-haired with blue at the ends, a mouthful of sharp teeth - and attached to his back was a weapon she and the others recognized all too well.

 _Zabuza's sword...the Executioner's Blade._

And finally, the one they came here for. "...Sasuke," she whispered, hoping nobody heard her. She was in the bushes, Itachi high in the trees, Kakashi with him but lower, and Naruto was on the other side of the brushes, furious and aching to get down to business. Sasuke was the same as they remembered, except now he was in a kimono-like garment similar to one Orochimaru used to don, complete with the purple _obi_ sash. He was in the lead, which confused them, and Itachi narrowed his eyes. Why did Kabuto not seem bothered, and why would he let Sasuke boss him around when it was clear they hated each other?

Something was terribly wrong here. Then he spoke, calling up to them. "You may come out now. It's not like we'll strike before the other side does..."

Now that did NOT sound like Sasuke at all.

It was going to be an outright accusation to point that out, but then Itachi beat her to it. Kakashi caught on himself. The two appeared before the group in a flash. Sasuke smirked. " _Aniki,_ it's been a while."

"Indeed," the elder Uchiha said coldly, standing to full height. "But explain why you bring a group - including Kabuto Yakushi, spy of Orochimaru - in the direction of the village you betrayed."

"Itachi -" To say his brother's name must be uncomfortable and pushing the wrong buttons. "- I didn't think the Hokage would even leave his village vulnerable just to come all the way out here for me," Sasuke sneered. "Did you come because you wanted to do... _Naruto-kun's_ job?" Now that made Sakura suck in her breath. He...said Naruto's name like...

There was only one she could think of who could _purr_ your enemy's name like it was too close for comfort. And Naruto's eyes were turning red as the Nine-Tails mode threatened to leak out. Damn it, but at least Itachi's Sharingan could suppress it - but so could Sasuke. And it was Naruto to burst out, snarling and consumed by red chakra, and it was then that the fight broke out.

She found that Sasuke chose to dive for Itachi - why was she not surprised? Though Naruto wanted to do that job, it must have made it easier for him. Kakashi even went toe to toe with Kabuto, leaving Sakura with the swordsman whom she wouldn't be surprised was the last of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. "You know, Pinkie," the guy said casually when he brought the blade towards her, but she blocked it using her fist _tekko,_ and she got him down in place when she ducked and swung a kick to where it would hurt him most. He groaned and reached down with one hand to that spot. She snorted.

 _Oh, Sasuke, you really picked the wrong people, because this idiot here doesn't have basic ninja skills - wait, WHAT?!_

He was obviously originally from Kiri, because he dissolved into water - he literally _turned_ into it! Sakura's brain scrambled to think of a way to counterattack him, but she settled on her Cherry Blossom Fist to the ground he was on, and it sent parts of his watery self splashing into the air. "CHAAAAA!" She gathered all the chakra back into her fists and aimed it at his sorry self when he started to get himself back together. Which left another option for her. Her skin was breaking out into sweat; behind her, her boys were getting it hard and dropping when she saw Naruto decking the girl who had NO skills in any of the three big categories. She could have just stayed out of the way!

"You don't see you're dealing with a medical ninja, do you?!" Sakura shouted at the sharp-toothed man when he got back to his human state. Since he was just like the rest of them, he was going to suffer at the hands of her surgical currents.

He laughed and looked her over. "I did, gorgeous -" Okay, that was better than "ugly", but he really enjoyed pissing her off. "- and oh! I just remembered, I never said my name. That's just rude, wouldn't you agree?" He snickered as he watched her produce the chakra blades in both her hands. But he was so caught up in his conversation that he didn't see her speed coming. "I'm Suigetsu Hozuki."

Even when she heard the name, she didn't hesitate when she struck him where he was vulnerable, and he was down, losing hold of the Executioner's Blade which she did the honors of grabbing and wielding it. It was so damned heavy-looking, and the blade swirled as she fought for a balance in her hand. In the end, she held it over him. He had no medical abilities. He was a member of a clan from Mist that had the ability to transform into water - _the Hydrification Technique. Which means they have to stay hydrated at all times whether by drinking or swimming. That also means to stop and rest constantly after too much aerobics._

She looked up from the corner of her eye and saw that Naruto had the girl down, and his Nine-Tails mode was slipping back to his normal self. "Alright, I got her, Sakura!" he called over to her, holding up the unconscious form of the redhead. She could be someone who used to serve Orochimaru as this Suigetsu; either way, they both had sensitive information to give them when this was over.

Kakashi and Kabuto were still going at it - and so were the Uchiha brothers. She had faith in her sensei, so her initial concern notably was the man she loved as well as the one she used to.

~o~

When he spotted Kabuto amongst the ranks, he knew that something was beyond off about his brother. He was aware of how the two had hated each other, and he could read off how that chakra wasn't his brother's - but he couldn't say it aloud to the others yet. He needed to fight Sasuke in order to confirm it.

He knew Sakura and the men were faring well. He'd seen her fight before and didn't doubt her for a second. And Naruto released part of the Kyuubi chakra, of his own will, and suppressed himself. "I don't wish to kill you, little brother," he said to Sasuke when he reached for his sword behind his back, just as the younger was doing the same. He received a sneer in response. _No snarky comeback?_ "If you will just come back with us without anyone dying..."

He was interrupted without even a raise of the voice. "I was hoping to slip in without anyone stopping us - anyone who wasn't my old team - but I never would have expected you to come with them, Itachi. The Hokage should never be away from the desk, but did you break that rule because you cared so much about me? The indomitable Itachi Uchiha - the man who never let personal feelings get in the way of his mission - has fallen low at last." He had by then wielded a sword much longer than his; Itachi recognized it as the famed Kusanagi Blade - also known as the Serpent Sword. This was very special...

Itachi readied his own, lowering it to his side but watching his opponent's moves with extreme care. "...yes," he said. "Danzo and the counselors want your head, and the clan seeks to expel you even if you get off the hook. You won't be welcomed home that easily, but you can also get a lighter sentence if you just -" He could finally let out a growl of frustration through his teeth when Sasuke cut him off...and then he heard the sound of that chuckle.

Or rather, he heard the _tone._ It was a silken slither, not at all his beloved brother. His blood ran cold while the rest of his body crawled with heated shivers.

"I was indeed planning to come without a fight, and if you hadn't come my way, I would have arrived without being discovered - or perhaps I underestimated the security once again, Itachi."

 _So, it IS you..._

"You thought to come in with that face, believing a second time could work unlike last time -" _When you impersonated the Kazekage._ "- Orochimaru," Itachi said, the name a foul germ on his tongue. Behind him, all activity stopped as time had.

All three were thinking the same thing: _No, it couldn't be..._

Except it was. "...Orochimaru," was all Sakura and Naruto could get out. Kabuto said nothing, but the snide smirk said it all.

Sasuke hadn't been strong enough to defeat Orochimaru. The intelligence had all been a lie that even his visual prowess could never read between the lines. The snake got him in the end; he intended to get inside the demon's head to see the entire story if it was the last thing he would do. Even if it would shatter his heart further at the failures he had as both a brother and a Hokage to his village...

 _How could I be Hokage if I failed to protect my own brother? I fully understand Naruto's despair when he tried to stop Sasuke that day..._

They had been fighting while the two of them were busy catching up without even a blow exchanged. In a way, Itachi was glad there wasn't fighting - yet - but now that he had his confirmation, it became easier for him to want to kill the monster before him and spare Naruto the trouble. Except now that the blond knew, the murder intent flashed red once again. "Out of my way, Itachi," he growled, his fangs growing. "He took Sasuke away, and now I should kill him myself!"

Itachi acted fast and held up his finger in his direction, all the while keeping his attention on the one before him. He didn't have to use his eyes to suppress the Nine-Tails or even perform _genjutsu_ ; all he needed was a single finger. It worked in causing Naruto to stop in his tracks and fall to his knees, gasping as his will came back to him. The one who wielded Zabuza Momochi's sword was still down, a result of Sakura's chakra scalpels, as was the redheaded woman who had fallen unconscious, and Kabuto was kneeling in front of Kakashi, chakra seals around his wrists which were also in place by ANBU-styled cuffs.

He felt his ocular channels contract as he activated the Mangekyo and brought the snake inside his brother's body into the nightmare realm...

 **I'm utterly devastated as I was when I thought of this idea. :'( I never thought I would do this. Please don't hate me, Sasuke lovers, because I really do care about him. In terms of how the confrontation would go, my friend happened to be fine with the idea that Orochimaru succeeded in getting the body he wanted and move to the Leaf Village again.**

 **I really hate always repeating myself when it comes to how things end for the characters, certain situations, because once or twice guessed cursed at me and even told me to kill myself. They should know better that just because you write it does NOT mean you support it or "get off on it", as they put it.**


	3. New Doors Opened

**It turned out that this fic is a three-chaptered story like "Divine Intervention". It happened to come to me when I did the previous chapter.**

 **I also want to point out, last time I got a guest review telling me Itachi is Mary Sue and paired up with Sakura "the worst character in Naruto". It hurt my feelings because there HAVE been other good stories that had Itachi devastated on way or another. Why would he not be? He lost his brother; in alternate universe, Sasuke is the opposite in canon if he wanted to be better than his brother whose light shone brighter than his brother. In the end, he lost no matter how hard he tried. He let his emotions get the best of him and turned his back on everyone else - including his brother and the girl who thought she loved him.**

 **No intentions to make this trilogy a grand series like a few I have done before, but what matters most is the inside results.**

Chapter Three

New Doors Opened

 _He was in a room that was dark, but lit with only a single candle. Everything was vividly clear: he was in Orochimaru's last hideout. Kabuto was nowhere in sight, but there stood Sasuke in the doorway. His Chidori stretched all the way across the room, and the target who deflected it was none other than the pitiful serpent of a man in his bed._

 _"There is nothing more you have to teach me, Orochimaru. I'm stronger than you now."_

 _"A bold statement from a nursling Uchiha!"_

Sasuke. _He continued to watch as his brother listed off the things Orochimaru did with his life that disgusted him as it did to those he betrayed, and those he harmed: the way he coveted the power of the Uchiha, wasting people's lives in his experiments, pumping himself with medicines and leaping from body to body. "Yes, you wanted a nursling because it was what you thought you could handle. You wanted the Sharingan, but Itachi was out of the question, so you came for me, the baby of the clan. You thought you could lay claim to me and bind me to you with the Curse Mark." It was then that the red flames scourged over half his body and darkened to black._

 _Pride swelled in him when Sasuke charged without another moment to lose - but how could he have expected Orochimaru's true form? "The giant white-scaled snake...after years of experimenting, and THIS is what you've become?"_

 _The fiend with the many smaller snakes to serve as scales went in for the strike. "- give me your body, Sasuke!" The pieces of scales surged out only to be sliced off by the younger Uchiha's katana, before he went into the second stage of the Curse Mark and switched his sword for the Chidori blade, which was far more powerful than the Kusanagi...powerful enough to slice the great serpent in half, killing it instantly._

 _But the bodily fluids of the serpent evaporated in the air. It was all too good to be true, which Sasuke should have known. The toxin paralyzed him and rendered him helpless as the head of Orochimaru the Serpent came back to life and lunged forward, jaws opened and swallowing his victim whole._

 _The location changed. Now they were in another world, dominated by rolling intestines and other disgusting bodily organs. There was the grotesque face of Orochimaru himself, tongue slithering out as he was engulfed by his innards, and the rest of him did the same to his newest soul. Then parts of the intestinal vines morphed and became faceless predators with sharp teeth, hungry for the newest addition, and then more domes rose, transforming into clearer visages as the Transference Ritual took place._

 _Those faces...they were the ones that came before Sasuke._

 _Itachi decided he saw enough when the demonic faces advanced towards his brother who closed his eyes and let himself be taken._ "No, Sasuke," _he heard himself in despair, ending the memory that would haunt his dreams for a long time to come._

 _He would never show Sakura or Naruto this as it would leave the imprint as it had done to him._

~o~

The demon in his brother's skin collapsed from the extent of the influence of the Uchiha bloodline. Itachi could only look down at him with pure loathing unlike himself. "Your brother put up a fight, Itachi," Orochimaru rasped, looking up from his kneeling position. Those eyes...they were now yellow, giving away his true form beneath that face, but keeping the face of the one he loved rather than the one wearing it. Knowing full well how it affected them all.

"He was very promising, but in the end...he would be good for only one thing. His light shone far brighter in my eyes than you ever would have. He was a ferocious fighter, but could never defeat the immortal Orochimaru as he foolishly hoped."

Sakura seethed and stepped on a howling Suigetsu's wounded ankle. This sadistic side of her was something that refreshed Itachi, but did nothing to soothe his damaged soul. "You...monster!"

"Why don't you just kill him already, Itachi?!" Naruto shouted. "He deserves it for what he did to Sasuke! He ruined all our lives!" _I intend to, for my brother,_ Itachi silently agreed, but chose not to say anything. Keeping his attention on the still-paralyzed snake, he summoned his crows and sent them out to alert the ANBU Black Ops. He then allowed a hand to drift back to draw his katana out, and Kabuto then yelled out for his master only to be silenced by Kakashi.

"...this is for my village - and for my brother."

His sword came down in a flash. Blood splattered the earth.

~o~

How could anyone not be happy that Orochimaru, rogue Sannin and former Leaf Shinobi, was dead after all these years? He'd killed the Third Hokage, nearly destroyed the village he once swore to protect, and finally corrupted the youngest Uchiha before claiming his body and soul.

Sakura was only too happy to know that Kabuto Yakushi, Suigetsu Hozuki and Karin - who was revealed to be an Uzumaki, therefore a distant cousin of Naruto's - were locked away. Although that also meant she would have to be the one to come in for medical checkups for these three. Sometimes she wished she could personally torture them herself, but she would have been in trouble for it.

When the corpse was brought back to Konoha, total devastation washed over the land - but not as great as it was amongst what was left of Team Kakashi and the Hokage himself, who shut himself away from the public eye for days, weeks on end.

Sakura understood why her lover closed himself off, and he shared the same level of grief as Naruto, who had in turn lost his drive and determination. He took the failure as much by slacking in his training, which all their friends saw and tried their best to support him. It was then that, on orders of the Hokage after receiving the report, he would leave for awhile and go to the Sand Village so that Gaara and his siblings would help him on his road, since home did the best it could.

On her part, Sakura couldn't bear to handle anything, and Ino was devastated as she was, but the pinkette stopped loving Sasuke a long time ago. But that did not mean she said he deserved what he got. He was misguided, he was a dear friend even if he did leave them all - but the village and the remaining elders said otherwise. They didn't really care about him as much as she, Itachi and the rest of her boys did.

The Uchiha clan didn't grieve much for Sasuke even though a funeral service was held under a rainy day, which was always an occurrence when many of their own was lost. It was appearance's sake, nothing else. Although Sakura saw Mikoto unable to hold back her emotions, which her husband did nothing to stop.

Itachi had to be there, as both Hokage and a brother, but he was more broken inside than he let on to the rest of them. _He's remembering when Fugaku told him that his brother could never be like him, and everything else..._

She even tried to see him when she had the chance, but his ANBU strictly prevented any visitors unless the Godaime said so. Bitterly, Sakura accepted this and would always go home. When she did, surprisingly, her parents were very supportive, and Mebuki didn't get on her nerves because she knew how her daughter felt.

Sakura kept herself in shape, eating and keeping her diet in check, plus distracting herself at the hospital. But in truth, her heart was in turmoil. There was nothing but grieving for Sasuke. Sometimes she was visited by Kakashi, and then she would visit him.

Except it didn't seem anything would ever be the same. "Itachi won't allow me to see him, either," Kakashi told her somberly, picking at his book but not reading it. "It seems hiding himself away is his way to cope."

They spoke this conversation one day over a drink in the bar, when the sky was darkening. Several weeks had gone by since the devastating tragedy that changed them all forever. This was one of the few where she wanted to drink and then sleep off at home. Half of her was considering moving out of her parents' house, and she considered rooming with Ino because girls needed to support each other. _I wish she could see that this type of love we had as girls was nothing more than foolish infatuation. It was this competition that got between us._

Or better yet, if Itachi ever did come around, maybe she could ask him if he would allow her. For the time being, Ino might say yes to rooming.

"Keeping himself locked away like that is far from healthy," Sakura told him, pushing away her glass and deciding she had enough. "I wish I could be there..."

 _If only there was a way I could get past those ANBU of his and break in. It's drastic, but if it's what it takes. This isn't healthy for him, for the village, or for US._

She felt a little cruel to dwell on it like that. As a doctor, you should never help someone unless they _want_ to get help, but while Naruto was away and surrounded by other friends, he was probably trying to keep himself healthy if he'd lost his drive. She'd done the same to herself. Even if Sasuke destroyed them - and Orochimaru behind it - he deserved to be honored by moving forward. If his clan no longer cared about him, then his mother and brother were the only ones who did.

But Itachi wasn't doing anything of the sort with shutting himself away, not keeping in touch except with the loads of paperwork.

Sakura then made the decision to speak to Mikoto tomorrow.

~o~

Naked, sweating and covered in his own dispelled semen, Itachi lay sprawled on all fours in the bathtub rather than the bed. This became his ritual each night before bed in the last few weeks, as means to distract himself from unwanted memories at the end of the day, after he busied himself in the paperwork necessary. His secretary could help him if she wanted to, but he preferred to continue working.

To be in the office made him feel smaller, vulnerable and more exposed now that his brother was gone, and he could not afford to be there any longer before he lost control of himself.

The clan noticed but chose not to care - the majority, anyway. But his mother was unable to stop crying, and her husband didn't even stop her. The disapproval in his eyes was enough...but Itachi also saw beneath that there was a small amount of regret in how he treated Sasuke enough to drive him away. But it was not enough to erase those calloused words when he publicly declared before the clan that his youngest son had betrayed the entire village and dishonored the Uchiha name.

When was it never a surprise the Elders confronted Itachi about this and reminded him of what every Shinobi reminded each other through the ages? _Put aside your personal feelings if you wish for the sanctity of this village and the people counting on you._

But Danzo's words haunted him from the day he set out with Kakashi's team.

 _"- one of the most powerful of Shinobi in our history - even greater than the First Hokage himself - but your heart is your greatest weakness. It comes in all forms, and I fear it will not end well very soon."_

He would not let the old man get the satisfaction, but even he was correct in predicting what Itachi Uchiha allowed himself to foolishly believe. When he never got to save his brother and make peace, his failure had come full circle.

 _The only ones disappointed are Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura...and myself._

Gathering himself up, Itachi stood and pulled the shower curtain around the tub, then turned the water faucet to hot, but not enough to burn his skin clean off. The dried white streaks cracked and slid down his legs into the drain. It wasn't like him and Sakura, but she couldn't be troubled with something like his demons in their relationship. That monster destroyed everything.

The engagement ring still rested in the top drawer of his bedside table, waiting for its new owner, but it seemed like it was a beautiful treasure gone to waste.

When he was finished with his shower, Itachi dried himself off and his hair, before brushing it and braiding it down his back for the night, and pulled his dragon-embossed robe over himself. He made way for his bed but paused at the window to open it, whistling for his messenger crow. She came at his disposal and cawed. Chuckling, Itachi reached and stroked her crown before picking up the bag of feed from the table, offering the bird a crumb before sitting down at his bedside with the paper and pen in his hand now. He hadn't done this since they got the false news that "Sasuke" was coming back their way.

 _My dearest cherry blossom..._

~o~

"Sakura, if you're not going to sleep well tonight, maybe I can insist you take a sleeping pill -"

"No thanks, Mom. I would know if I needed those," the pinkette told her mother, "but thanks anyway."

She never took sleeping pills unless it was an absolute emergency, and sometimes they would dupe you out past the hour you wanted to wake up. She'd drank enough to know she would survive the night, and Kakashi had been sober enough to bring her right home. If Naruto had been there to share it with them, he might have gone off the shelf more than either of them.

Sakura missed her friend terribly. She hoped Gaara and his siblings were doing the best they could.

Man, what bad timing it was, and how guilty and sick it made her feel. As soon as she was nude and under the shower, scrubbing herself off with her favorite mango wash, she suddenly felt a certain tingle in her body that went to a certain part. She hadn't known going _weeks_ without her man would make her miss him so much. They said sex would help you cope with terrible times, but they both lost someone once near and dear to them who was also the reason they were together now. _Of all times to get aroused. Well, maybe do it before bed could help me sleep much better._

When she was done and in her pajamas ready for bed, it was then that she saw the shadow outside her window. A black crow was perched on the sill with a small scroll attached to one of its legs. Itachi had sent one of his messenger birds to her instead of an ANBU. Snorting and shaking her head, Sakura opened her window and let the bird come in with a caw. She took the rolled up paper from where it was hooked and opened it to read.

 _My dearest cherry blossom, I have been utterly disgraceful of the man of your affections and the Fifth Hokage. Like a coward, I have closed myself away and wallowed in my failure as a brother. A great enemy is dead thanks to our efforts, but a terrible price was paid. I feel you do not deserve me for not protecting him. It is very difficult to continue hoping for a better future when he is gone. We all must go on to honor his memory, but the scar is too great to heal with simply false hope._

 _I have stated I am a coward, and Naruto would certainly say so. I could have summoned you at this hour to speak now, but you must decide now whether or not you wish to see me yourself after all this time. My guards know you will come, so do not fear them blocking your entrance. I am still where you left me, my beloved blossom._

Her heart fluttered that he still considered her his beloved, but the majority of it made her snap. Her unexpected solo arousal slowly resided with the bubbling frustration.

Oh, he was going to get so much more than just a visit from her. What the hell was he thinking, believing he didn't deserve HER because they couldn't save Sasuke?! Her and Mama Mikoto were going to be the dynamic duo on him. And if those ANBU tried to stop her, they would meet both her fists into the wall.

And that next morning, she followed through on her promise when she found herself in the Uchiha compound which she hadn't been to since she and the gang returned. Though before, as she passed through, she saw the hostility in the eyes of the majority of the Uchiha as they saw the "pink-haired outsider" in their midst, and avoided her at all costs.

They saw her as unwelcome. But she gave no rat's ass except for the woman on her mind.

Surprisingly, when Fugaku saw her, he didn't even say something snide. He'd lost his youngest son and was slowly coming undone in his own way of dealing with the loss. When Mikoto saw her, she threw herself forward and wept, begging her to let her go with her and see her only remaining son left. _And everyone else in the village hasn't seen or heard of Itachi since he closed himself away from the public's eye._

"Sakura, I'm very worried for him," her lover's mother was saying as they left together. Her attention then fell to the note Sakura presented, and her eyes bulged with shock and dismay. She huffed then and there, stuffing it into the pocket of her apron.

Just as he promised, the ANBU let them in, and when both women were inside, there he was in his silk dressing gown instead of his Godaime garments, sitting at his personal desk filling out important documents, a steaming cup of tea further up a corner to avoid spilling on the papers. Hearing the door open, he turned around, putting the pen down and standing gracefully.

However, seeing both his mother and lover was something he should have prepared for. "Mother -"

"Don't 'Mother' me," she snapped, and this was a rare time Mikoto Uchiha was scarier than sweet. That was always terrifying for someone seeing that side of her for the first time - but Sakura was not the target.

Itachi regarded her with the slightest flinch that did NOT go unnoticed. It reverted back to calm in seconds. "I am not going to make an excuse why you shouldn't be here with Sakura," he said, hands dropped on both sides.

"You are right. Sasuke was my son, your younger brother, and I loved you both as much. Itachi, do you want to keep burdening yourself forever? You used to struggle with opening up to people, letting them in, and I couldn't help but wonder if you were going to revert back to that!" Mikoto said. "Not when you still have people here. I don't blame you at all for this; no one does. Your brother's friends are now yours, and they are suffering as much as we all are." _Except the rest of the Uchiha clan, but why should we care about them? Those old windbags? The villagers who don't really care about Sasuke except that he was the "other pride of the Uchiha"? No one except us._ "So, will you go back out there like the man you are and do what you must for yourself, all of us - and Sasuke?"

The words were all Sakura would have said, and now what escaped her lips: "I couldn't forgive him for what he did, but I won't forgive Orochimaru even more. If anything, I think Sasuke would not have wanted what's happening now," she said heatedly, looking him square on. After all, the man in front of her wasn't the one who helped her get over the childish obsession regarding the one who didn't care about her the same way - nor was he the one she fell in love with, but...

Itachi said nothing, but the light in his eyes was the answer they needed.

~o~

He stepped out into fresh air, on the balcony of Hokage Tower, and exhaled the early afternoon with his mother and lover right behind him. He looked down and surveyed the bustling of civilians enjoying the day and attending to business. Weeks had made him see what he'd closed himself from.

He could not remember the last time he forgot what an aspect of life was. Seeing the people, the sunlight on his face, and burning eyes of his lover and mother behind him - he felt like he had stepped out of a shell he made for himself and back into the world he belonged. There was one person missing, but there were still so many around him. Itachi then turned around and looked at the two important women, smiling slightly at them.

"...I won't just say a simple sorry, nor do I know how we can carry on."

The back of his head was turned to the sun, the symbol of the heavens, which he knew was Sasuke watching down on them. _Rest in peace, little brother._

Mikoto reached up to wipe the tears that streaked her cheeks. Sakura walked up to him, and he saw it coming even if he didn't have to know it: her palm raised in a flash and struck him a harsh blow to the cheek. The impact would have sent him over the railing if he'd not pulled himself together. Once, he envisioned what it was like to be subjected to her famous blows, and now that he had, it was child's play compared to the war and death he saw as a child. His flesh stung and rippled across his cheekbone.

"And if you do something like this again, Itachi Uchiha," she told him sweetly against his ear, then took it into her teeth and bit enough to draw a little blood, making him wince, "I'll really pummel you over the railing enough to kill you."

Itachi chuckled and looked down at her before leaning down to kiss her full on the lips. Mikoto watched them both with a giggle before clearing her throat. "I am going to leave you both alone then. I'll see if I can seek out Kakashi to bring him the good news..."

She meant to say that this was nothing to do with being unfaithful to his father, but her intention was to seek out the Copy Ninja and bring him about for his aid.

On Itachi's part: he planned to send both him and Sakura out to Suna for Naruto. He might very well spend more months out there, but he had to come home sooner or later. If he couldn't rescue his best friend, the world was not at an end for him. There were plenty other people still standing for him, and none of them abandoned him like Sasuke.

"So, what do we do now, Lord Hokage?" Sakura asked, looking up at him with batting eyelashes. He chuckled and knew there was one thing he could do that he'd waited long enough for. It was a chance he was willing to take. The ring was back in his rooms, but he settled on dropping to his knees before her, uncaring his robe would get dusted, and she gasped.

"Sakura Haruno...will you marry me?"

 **I'm glad to be finally done with this trilogy for ItaSaku, and sad what happened to Sasuke. :( Plus I had help regarding how the couple and the others coped with his loss, so I hoped what was left to the imagination was enough. There were others before dealing with the loss of Sasuke in enough detail that I was worried of repeating certain words for word, if that makes any sense.**

 **But anyway, thanks for the support, and please: if you want to review, please say more than just "love it" or anything related. It doesn't have to be a BIG review with fancy phrases, but just enough to make the author's day. :)**


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